


on the shore

by jenniferwrites



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, Heartbreak, aha so see you next year...or not hahahahhaha, i might do two more parts to this...or not?, uma x evie, umie, underwater kiss agenda!!!!!, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27573355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenniferwrites/pseuds/jenniferwrites
Summary: "Evie’s hair looked just like the ocean, but Uma was too scared to ever go near it.Maybe Uma did understand why Evie was afraid to jump in the water.It was uncharted territory, and there was no knowing what to expect.Uma felt the same."In which Uma and Evie find solace and solitude on a small piece of paradise on the Isle.
Relationships: Evie/Uma (Disney)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	on the shore

**on the shore**

__________________

Swimming.

It was one of the few things Uma was actually good at. When it came to everything else, she was an absolute failure, according to her mother. Uma was the only other person besides her mother, Ursula, who knew how to swim on the Isle.

Not that it was a worthy skill to have. You could swim all you want, but nothing could escape you from the grasp of the Isle of the Lost. The magical borders made sure of that.

Besides, the majority of the water on the Isle was polluted and floated with trash—not exactly suited for swimming.

Except for one spot.

It was located on a small beach at the far end of the Isle where no one visited. It was untouched by the poverty, the disparity, and the corruption that surrounded the rest of the wicked island. It was a haven in such a wretched place that Uma called home. 

There, Uma could step into the gleaming, blue water and forget about all the worries and cares that constantly clouded her mind and simply float and glide across the water.

It was the perfect getaway. Uma could swim for hours and pretend she was swimming off to somewhere far away. Somewhere where she wasn’t seen as a constant disappointment or someone that could be easily trampled on.

Like now.

Uma was in charge of frying fish in oil that was several days old when she heard the sound of an annoying pelican flying by the grease-stained window. The borders of the window were scuffed with chipped, green paint coming off in several places of the border. Her mother always said she’d get around to fixing it, but she never did. There was never enough time in a place where a clock was the least of their worries.

Uma turned her head to look out the window and found herself distracted by the ocean waves crashing against the trash-infested shore. It was usually trash from Auradon that somehow “got here.” Uma knew better than that. Auradon purposefully sent its trash over to the Isle. It was the island of the forgotten, after all.

Usually it was an ugly sight—there was nothing beautiful about rotten bits of food, plastic, and old shoes reaching the shore. But today was different. The sun was hitting the water in a way that made it glisten. It was almost beautiful. Beautiful enough for Uma to stare at it for longer than she needed to, but long enough to burn the frying fish.

It was the burnt smell and her mother’s yelling that brought her back to reality.

“Can you do ANYTHING right, girl?!” Ursula questioned with a frustrated huff.

Girl.

That was how Ursula addressed her.

Never Uma.

Never an endearing pet name.

Just girl.

It was why Uma insisted everyone else call her by her real name. No nicknames, no nothing. Just Uma.

“I’m sorry. I was just distracted.” Uma mumbled, reaching towards the fryer to throw out the fish. Ursula whacked her hand away and scowled at her.

“Well you can use that distraction you’re so good at doing later when it’s time for dinner. You just cost yourself a meal, girl.” Ursula looked at Uma disdainfully. Like she wished Uma could’ve been someone else. Someone better. Uma wished that too, sometimes.

“Cool.” Uma nodded once, feigning carelessness. If Uma acted like it didn’t hurt her, eventually she’d come to believe it.

Ursula rolled her eyes. “Get out of my sight, girl! I can’t even stand to look at you.” she pushed Uma out of the kitchen with one of her tentacles. “I’ll do it myself since my daughter can’t even help run a restaurant.”

Uma scoffed and ripped off her apron and threw it on the counter. “Whatever.”

“Where are you going?!” Ursula peaked her head out of the kitchen. “I didn’t say you were done working!”

“I’m taking my break.” Uma called out, ignoring her mother’s series of insults and curses at her as she walked out the door.

Uma closed her eyes for a few moments as she stood on the street before opening them again, her eyes hardened once more instead of the hint of tearfulness it carried just seconds before. She pretended to wipe off sweat from her forehead to hide the fact that she was wiping off a streaming tear before beginning on her trek to her secret spot in the Isle.

Unbeknownst to Uma, her white seashell earring had fallen off when she forcefully wiped “sweat” off her face. One out of two things could happen to it.

  1. Someone steps on the seashell earring, crushes it, and it becomes one with the dirt path.
  2. Someone picks it up and sells it for some money.



There was usually never a third option, but Evie Grimhilde happened to be the one to pick up the white seashell earring. Usually, Evie would claim the found item and use it as a fashion accessory or transform it to something even better, but Evie felt a weird pull to follow this girl.

Evie recognized her. She was the girl Mal would torment from time to time whenever the other girl would try to claim territory from them. Mal would quickly put her in her place.

Publicly. In a humiliating manner.

Evie would usually feel a bit guilty, but that feeling would disappear once her eyes landed on a boy she could flirt her way into stealing from.

Today was different, though. There were no boys to flirt with, and Evie had a seashell earring in her hand that felt like a compass or a map to follow.

So she did.

__________________

It was a long walk. Longer than Evie liked. The platform shoes she was wearing were _certainly_ not meant for treks like this, but Evie didn’t stop to complain. She simply sucked up her aching feet and continued to follow the girl with the blue braids, the clenched jaw, and the balled-up fists. 

It was well worth the walk.

The sight Evie came to see was absolutely _stunning_.

Evie wasn’t one to admit to beauty that wasn’t her own, but she couldn’t deny the fact that the warm, beige sand _sparkled_ with the sun, the water looked like Evie’s own blue hair and not the murky mixture of green and brown Evie was accustomed to seeing (and unfortunately smelling), and that this place was nothing short of a miracle.

Paradise? In a hellscape like the Isle? Impossible…

And yet—

Evie looked down at the seashell earring in her hand and then towards Uma who had taken off her shirt and pants to jump into the clear, blue water. It was quite the sight, if Evie was honest.

Of course, Evie was talking about the ocean view. Not about the girl swimming in it.

Although she was pretty too, Evie supposed.

Evie watched as Uma climbed the tall, rocky cliff and stood on top of it, taking a deep breath before gracefully jumping off the cliff downwards and the water splashing around her once she fell in the water. When she surfaced up, Uma began to do back strokes and stare up at the water.

Evie pondered her next move.

Maybe approaching Uma was not the best move to take. And, besides, if Evie returned the earring now, she wouldn’t have an excuse to come back to this magical place and take in the breathtaking views.

Evie took the necklace and placed it delicately in her jean pocket, sitting down by a tree that had low hanging branches with large leaves that covered her enough to never raise suspicions from Uma.

Not that Uma would even notice her. Evie could see how relaxed and carefree she looked in that moment.

Peace.

Evie could wholeheartedly say that it wasn’t a feeling the rest of the Isle was accustomed to.

Especially not Evie.

Not Evie who was pressured by her mother to always look her best and to snatch up a prince who can bring them back to the royal status the Evil Queen once reigned cruelly in.

Beauty and riches over anything, that’s what Evie’s mother indoctrinated in her.

Evie knew her place. It wasn’t peace or tranquility, but it was aimed to be something better.

But for now? For now, she’d just sit back and watch someone else bask in breathtaking beauty.

The beach.

Evie was obviously talking about the beach.

__________________

“I really like this ring, don’t you think it looks nice on me?” Evie spoke in an airy voice, one she mostly used whenever she was trying to get her way. Evie tilted her head as she looked up at the young man selling the jewelry, most likely stolen. “Should I try it on?” Evie batted her eyelashes at him.

He was cute, Evie supposed. Brown eyes, chiseled face, and a built body. If she didn’t know Hercules was a hero and nowhere near the Isle, she’d assume she was his son.

The young man, absolutely entranced by Evie’s flirtation, nodded dumbly. “Of course.”

Evie hummed as she took a moment to glance towards Ursula’s seafood restaurant before glancing back at the young man, delicately lifting up her and then stopping. “Actually…why don’t _you_ put it on for me?” she smiled smugly at the young man.

The young man perked up, quickly nodding. “Absolutely.” He spoke with too much excitement in his voice. He took the ring, a rusted gold band with a dull, blue stone on it. Evie knew she could restore it to its former glory, though. It’s what Evie was meant to do with her life: restore her mother’s once regal and powerful life.

Evie placed her hand over the counter and wiggled her fingers with a wink. Carefully, the young man placed the ring on her finger. Evie hummed as she brought the ring towards her. “How does it look?”

“Beautiful.” He spoke, not even sparing a glance at the ring in Evie’s finger and staring directly at her.

Evie giggled. “You’re not even looking at the ring, silly.”

The young man blushed, chuckling. “Sorry, I’m just too busy looking at someone else.”

Evie was about to indulge him when the swinging doors of Ursula’s restaurant were pushed open in a loud slam. Evie turned her head and noticed it was Uma who had pushed the door open. Uma’s face looked angry and she pushed people who were in her way as she walked towards the direction Evie had grown to learn by heart. She could walk towards the beach with her eyes closed, if she wanted to.

Evie stared at Uma until she disappeared from her line of vision.

“Hello?”

Evie turned to face the young man selling jewelry again and found herself with a heated face. He wasn’t the cause of it, though.

The sun must’ve shined on her and made her hot. It only indicated she needed to stay away from the sun, so maybe she should go to the shady tree she often sat under when she went to visit the beautiful beach.

“Oh! Uh, I have to go.” Evie chuckled nervously. “I’ll come back to try on the rest of this jewelry, though.” She winked at him quickly before walking away with the rusty blue stone ring still on her finger. She wasn’t an idiot, and the young man wouldn’t notice until much later.

Evie walked down the same route she had grown accustomed to these past few weeks until she was met with the deep blue, crystal waters. It still took Evie’s breath away.

Evie’s eyes trailed over to Uma who was already on top of the cliff and immediately jumped off, splashing into the water. Evie settled under the three, grabbing the sketchbook she had left underneath the tree and going back to the sketch she had been working on.

The rocky cliff, the blue waters, and a figure swimming in it. A figure that looked very similar to Uma.

Evie was focused on the sketch, she didn’t even notice the sudden shadow covering her from the sun.

“How the fuck did you find this place?” Uma spoke in an accusatory tone. “Did you _follow_ me here?”

Evie’s head sprung up and her eyes widened.

“What are you doing here?” Uma furrowed her eyebrows and her jaw clenched.

Evie reached into her jean pocket. “Um…I’m just returning your… earring.” Evie opened her hand to reveal the white seashell earring.

Uma raised an eyebrow. “I lost that weeks ago.” Uma’s face returned to an angry one. “Have you been FOLLOWING me here since then?!”

Evie gulped, feeling her heart race in ways it never had before. She was always composed no matter the situation so why was Uma making her feel like her heart was coming out of her chest?

“I…the…the view.” Evie stammered out, standing up. “It’s beautiful. And I was just…I wanted to keep seeing it.” Evie let out a nervous laugh. “I can go—”

“Aren’t you Mal’s little friend?” Uma tilted her head, arms crossed.

Evie blinked. “I’m not little.”

“Whatever” Uma rolled her eyes.

“I’m actually taller than you.” Evie continued, feeling her usual flirty and calm demeanor beginning to come back. “Aren’t you that girl Mal calls shrimpy?” Evie straightened her posture and tilted her head, a smug smile on her face.

Uma’s face changed back to an angry one, but then an amused one. This girl had bite. Uma could respect that.

“Don’t call me shrimpy.” Was all Uma said as she turned back and walked towards the shore.

Evie watched as Uma began to walk away from her. “Does that mean I can stay?”

Uma turned around. “Only if you give me the earring back.” Uma looked at her. “Because then you have no more excuses as to why you’ve been coming here to check me out these past few weeks.” She smiled smugly.

Evie’s face turned bright red and she scoffed. “I haven’t been checking you out!” she exclaimed defensively.

“Then what _did_ you come here for?”

“I told you! The view!” Evie huffed.

“That I just so happen to be a part of…” Uma shrugged. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Evie.”

Evie raised an eyebrow and smirked when Uma said her name. “So you _do_ know my name…”

This time, it was Uma’s face that began to heat up. “I hear things.”

“Yeah? And I guess you hear my name just a little clearer.” Evie teased taking out the earring from her pocket and placing it on the palm of Uma’s hand. “I know your name too, Uma.”

Uma blinked as she looked down at the earring Evie handed to her. “Wait, does this mean…?”

“I’m here for the view, Uma, is all.” Evie had a slight smirk on her face. She didn’t know why it was so easy to tease the girl, but Evie never felt like this when she flirted with a boy.

“And I just so happen to be a part of it?” Uma retorted, motioning to the sketchbook in Evie’s hand.

Evie nodded with a soft smile. “Yeah…something like that.”

Uma’s stare remained cold, unable to be like Evie and flash a smile back. Even if the moment did feel warm.

“You can keep coming here. But we’ll never walk together. We’re not friends.” Uma told the other girl.

Evie nodded. “I can agree to that. You’re just a view, Uma.”

“Yeah,” Uma nodded. “just a view.”

__________________

It quickly became a routine for Evie and Uma. They’d make brief eye contact with each other from across a room, and moments later walk separately to the beach. Sometimes they’d have brief conversations at the beach, and other days it would be silent between them—the only sounds being heard were sounds of Evie’s pencil scratching against the thin sheet paper and the splashes Uma made while in the water.

It was a weird comfort, though neither would fully admit it. They enjoyed each other’s company, but in a place like the Isle, that wasn’t something you were supposed to have—comfort.

So the two sat and pretended like there was no sense of peace between them. No safe haven. Nothing.

They were just enjoying the view, is all.

Uma walked over to Evie, her entire body drenched from swimming in the water. A few droplets fell into Evie’s paper and Evie looked up.

“Yes?” Evie raised an eyebrow.

“Are you ever going to jump in the water?” Uma asked. “Because, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we have an entire body of water untouched by pollution and trash, so it’s kind of nice to look at. And swim in.”

Evie glanced at the water and then back at Uma. “I don’t swim.”

“Well, yeah, I know most of the Isle can’t swim, but I’m not a complete asshole. I wouldn’t let you drown.” Uma shrugged.

“Not just that…water is wet.” Evie scrunched up her nose.

“Okay…?” Uma tilted her head.

“My make up would run, my hair would get wet, and so would my clothes. I wouldn’t look nice at all and I _always_ have to look nice.” Evie explained.

“Who says you have to always look nice?” Uma found herself sitting down next to Evie.

“My mother.” Evie turned to look at Uma, surprised Uma was giving her the time of day.

“Well, I don’t see her around.” Uma retorted. “This is an escape, you can do whatever you want.”

“But we always have to go back.” Evie frowned. “It’s only ever temporary.”

Uma hummed and let out a sigh. “Maybe one day that’ll change.”

Evie chuckled and shook her head. “You really think that?”

“If I managed to find paradise in a hell hole like the Isle, then maybe pretty things can exist for longer than a minute.”

“And what would you do with five minutes?”

“I guess that depends.”

“On what?”

“I’d have to find something else besides this place that lasts that long. Beauty fades in the Isle.”

Evie acknowledged Uma with a soft hum in agreement.

“Beauty does fade…my mother reminds me of that every day.”

It was weird how easy Evie found herself opening up to Uma. Maybe it was because she had nothing to lose. Neither would ever want to risk anyone else finding out they were willingly hanging out together. It would tarnish their tough reputations—especially Uma’s.

Uma cleared her throat, finding herself uncomfortable in the vulnerable territory they were treading in.

“Maybe…a drawing.”

“What?”

“I’d look at a drawing for five minutes. Maybe beauty fades, but not if it’s sealed in a drawing, you know?” Uma nodded to Evie’s sketch of one of the white flowers in full bloom in front of them. Neither knew the name of it, but it was beautiful.

Evie looked down at the drawing. “Here,” Evie ripped the paper off the notebook. “keep it.”

Uma raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t common for gifts to be given in the Isle.

“Why?” Uma assumed Evie had other intentions. Maybe something to hold over her in the future.

“Just…a way to hope that you’ll find beautiful things that last longer than a minute. In the meantime, there’s this.” Evie smiled softly. “It’s not going anywhere.”

Uma tentatively took the piece of paper and stared at the sketch of the white flower for a few moments. “Um…thanks.”

“No problem.” Evie stood up, getting ready to leave. She always left before Uma did.

Before Evie could walk away, Uma stopped her. “Hey, Evie?”

“Yeah?”

“I mean it.”

“Mean what?”

“I wouldn’t let you drown if you ever did decide to jump in the water.”

Evie smiled softly. “Thanks, Uma. I’ll remember that.”

Uma nodded and gave the other girl a tight smile before watching as the dark blue haired girl walked away.

Evie’s hair looked just like the ocean, but Uma was too scared to ever go near it.

Maybe Uma did understand why Evie was afraid to jump in the water.

It was uncharted territory, and there was no knowing what to expect.

Uma felt the same.

__________________

The next time Evie and Uma saw each other, Evie ditched the tree she often sat under and walked to the shore.

Evie silently took off her shoes and dipped her feet in the water.

Uma resisted the urge to smile.

She just rushed to the cliff, jumped off, and smiled to herself underwater.

When Uma submerged from the water, she put on a smug smile. “The water doesn’t bite, you know!”

Evie rolled her eyes playfully. “One step at a time, Uma!”

It was the first time Uma took the time to actually take a look at Evie. Sure, she noticed how ridiculously gorgeous the other girl was, but there was something about Evie’s eyes that called to Uma. Like a siren, almost. She couldn’t help but want to stare at them.

Uma would even use up those five minutes on Evie’s eyes alone.

It terrified Uma to think how long she’d spend admiring the rest of her.

__________________

Uma doesn’t see Evie for weeks. The beach doesn’t take her breath away the way it use to. Uma didn’t want to admit it, but she did partly miss seeing another shade of blue waves around these parts. Of course, Uma would never try to reach out to Evie to check in on her, but she did hope Evie was okay.

When Uma does see Evie at the beach again, her breath gets caught in her throat.

Evie is sitting by the waves with her shoes off, staring out into the ocean. The water is gleaming, and so are Evie’s eyes. Uma knows it’s not a reflection of the water.

They’re tears.

Feelings were rough territory Uma did not like to explore. She was raised by an emotionless zombie, it seemed like. Ursula wasn’t the most caring of mothers. Not many parents on the Isle were.

Uma kicked off her shoes and walked up to Evie, silently sitting next to her.

“Hey.” Uma greeted with a tight smile.

Evie sniffled and wiped away tears. “Oh. Hi. I didn’t think you’d be coming in right now, sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“I can go—”

“Are you okay?” Uma blurted out, surprising even herself.

A question like that was never asked in the Isle. It was a stupidly obvious question: of _course_ no one was okay here.

Evie turned to face Uma with teary eyes. “It’s stupid—”

“I’m friends with Gil and Harry, try me.”

Evie sighed. “My mother has…bad days sometimes. I mean, she’s not a kind mother, but…there’s particular days where she looks in a mirror and just crumbles. Like you said, beauty fades, and hers is fading. She gets angry about that and takes it out on me.”

Uma stared at Evie, her eyes telling her to continue.

“She tries to make herself feel better by forcing me to stand in the mirror next to her with a marker and…” Evie’s voice cracked. “circles where all my flaws are. All the parts of me that are ugly. Like my eyebrows that are too bushy and my smile that’s too big, so I’ll definitely be aging faster than she has been and—”

“You’re beautiful, Evie.”

Evie found herself blushing and shook her head. “No, I—”

“Evie,” Uma grabbed Evie’s chin and turned the other girl’s head. “you’re…by far…the most beautiful girl on the Isle. And if we ever get to leave this shitty island, you’d beat the rest of the world too. Including those prissy princesses in Auradon.”

“You haven’t even seen the world, Uma. You can’t possibly know that.” Evie mumbled, looking away.

Uma gulped, knowing she was treading a delicate line here.

“I don’t need to.”

Evie smiled softly. “For what it’s worth…” Evie turned to Uma. “I’d use my five minutes on you.”

Uma felt herself tense up and looked down. “Don’t waste your time.”

“I’m not.”

__________________

That night, Uma did something she swore she’d never do again: seek advice from her mother. Uma leaned against the counter as they silently ate dinner from opposite ends of the restaurant’s countertop.

“Hey, mom?”

Ursula grunted in acknowledgement, not even looking up at Uma.

“I, um, I did something today.”

Ursula let in a deep breath. “For god sakes, girl, what did you do now?”

“No, not like that.” Uma sighed. “I…I called someone beautiful today.”

Ursula turned silent.

Silence never doted well for Uma.

“Is that a bad thing?” Uma asked.

“It’s worse.”

“What is it, then?”

“It’s weakness.” Ursula looked up at Uma. “Pure weakness.”

Uma shifted in her seat. “How is it weakness?”

There was a look on Ursula’s face that told Uma what Ursula wouldn’t: there was unresolved pain swirling around in Ursula. Loss.

“It’s always the beautiful ones that hurt you.” Ursula paused. “Let me tell you something, girl.” Ursula pointed at Uma with her fork. “Love doesn’t exist for villains. We don’t get happy endings. And if you think someone here in this god-forsaken island could possibly love YOU…” Ursula snorted, shaking her head. “you’re delusional.”

“But she—”

“Uma.” Ursula cut off, surprising Uma when her mother addressed her by her name instead of “girl” like she usually did. There was a serious look in Ursula’s face. “Save yourself the pain. Because if anyone here catches you showing an ounce of weakness— _especially_ for another person…even I can’t save you. Love doesn’t last, but power can. And _that’s_ what you need to aim towards always. Love is weakness. Remember that.”

With that, Ursula stood from her spot on the counter and walked to the back kitchen.

Uma let out a deep sigh.

Maybe her mother was right.

But it felt too late for Uma.

Evie felt like a painting, and Uma wanted to spend endless increments of five minutes marveling at her. And if that was weakness, then Uma was on the brink of crumbling.

__________________

Uma dropped a tray of food at a table, rolling her eyes as the group of four immediately dug into the “fresh” seafood. The swinging doors slammed open, and Uma almost ignored the sound like she did most shifts, but she had spent months practically memorizing every sound, every motion, and every image of Evie. Uma hated to admit it, but she knew Evie like the back of her hand.

She was weak for Evie, but she would never admit that out loud.

Uma looked up to see a teary-eyed Evie standing by the doors, arms crossed. There was also a look on Evie’s face like she wanted to snatch Uma away from here. Evie looked desperate and anxious, and Uma didn’t want to leave her in that state. She knew what Evie was saying with her eyes.

“Follow me.” They said. Those eyes had always been like sirens—calling to Uma and making her unable to concentrate on anything else but them.

Without another word, Evie left the restaurant and began to walk to the secret beach. Their beach, practically.

“I’m taking my break!” Uma called out to her mother, ignoring the sounds of protests and cursing coming from the kitchen that belonged to her mother. Uma took off her apron and followed after Evie, making sure to keep her distance.

As soon as they made it to the beach, Evie turned around, tears streaming down her face.

“Whoa, what—”

“King Adam and his son, Ben, created a new proclamation. They’re picking four children from the Isle to go to Auradon where they’ll basically be rehabilitated from villain kids to goodness.” Evie wiped away tears. “They picked Mal, Jay, Carlos, and…me.” Evie looked up at Uma. “They picked me to go, too.” Evie sat down on the sand and sniffled.

Uma felt a heaviness in her chest at the news.

Evie was leaving.

But Uma couldn’t show she was upset, so she just sat down next to Evie.

“Wow…” Uma cleared her throat. “That’s a good thing, right? We always talked about how you wanted to leave the Isle.”

“True.” Evie nodded in agreement.

“And there’ll be plenty of princes to choose from—I’m sure your mom’s happy about that.”

“Princes…right.” Evie nodded again. “But maybe…” Evie turned to Uma. “Maybe I don’t want a prince anymore.”

Uma raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Evie looked away with blushing cheeks. “Um…since I’m leaving in an hour…maybe…” Evie looked back at Uma. “Maybe I’ll cash in that swim.”

It didn’t fly past Uma that Evie was changing the subject, but she would let it slide.

“I thought you didn’t swim.” Uma reminded her.

“I don’t, but I know you won’t let me drown.” Evie looked over at the cliff. “I want to jump from there.”

“You do realize you’re expected to be at Auradon in one piece, right?” Uma watched Evie stand up.

“Maybe I want to leave a piece of me here with you, Uma.” Evie smiled softly as she stripped down to her bra and underwear.

Uma couldn’t deny Evie her last wish before she left life in the Isle, so she followed suit.

“Do you mind holding my hand?” Evie asked, extending her hand.

Uma responded by silently holding Evie’s hand, squeezing it lightly as they walked up the rocky cliff. Uma could feel Evie’s hand shaking, but Uma had the feeling it was beyond fear of jumping off the cliff.

It was letting all of this go.

They managed to fit in five minutes into months, but their time was running out suddenly. And Evie was hanging onto seconds. If Uma could, she’d hold onto her for longer.

Uma could hear the waves crashing against the rocks below them and turned to Evie. “You don’t have to do this, you know.” She reminded Evie.

Evie turned to Uma. “Don’t let me go, okay?”

Uma could never.

Evie was sealed into her memory. She could paint a museum filled with her.

“I won’t.” Uma promised, looking down at the water. “On the count of three, yeah?”

“Okay.”

“One…” Uma turned to look at Evie. “Two…” Evie squeezed Uma’s hand tightly. “Three.”

Uma held onto Evie’s hand tightly as the two jumped off the cliff and splashed into the water. Bubbles formed all around them from the impact, and Uma was reminded why she loved being underwater so much.

Time.

It felt slower.

Swimming in the water felt like moving in slow motion, and maybe if Uma and Evie would stay underwater long enough, they’d never know the fleeting feeling of five minutes ever again.

Uma opened her eyes as they were submerged underwater. Her heart fluttered at the sight of Evie. She looked like painting with the way her dark blue waves spread out like wings.

Uma watched as Evie kicked around, unaccustomed to the ways of water. Uma pulled Evie towards her and Evie’s hair wrapped around her while her braids wrapped around Evie’s.

Their bodies were so close to each other, Uma found herself looking at Evie and then down to her lips.

Evie moved towards Uma and leaned down to press her lips against Uma’s.

They may had been underwater, but Uma could swear Evie was breathing life into her.

Life she didn’t know was possible to live.

A life where Uma wanted to be kissed by Evie like this for longer than five minutes.

A life that wasn’t a still painting.

A life where beauty may have faded but love for sure hadn’t.

Uma kissed Evie back as the two girls floated back up. They pulled away for a few moments to catch their breaths, but Uma didn’t want to waste another second and immediately pulled Evie in for another deep, passionate kiss, wrapping her hands around Evie’s waist while Evie cupped Uma’s face.

“Tell me to stay, Uma.” Evie mumbled against Uma’s lips. “Tell me to stay, and I’ll never leave.” Evie pulled away from the kiss and looked at Uma pleadingly.

And Uma wanted to tell her. It could so easily flow out of Uma’s tongue because there was nothing more that she wanted. She wanted to whisper to Evie sweet nothings like how she may not be a prince or anything of royal regard, but, damn it, she’d spend the rest of her life trying to make Evie feel like royalty. 

But she heard her mother’s advice all those months ago gnawing at the back of her mind.

_Love is weakness._

“I can’t.” Uma shook her head. “You have to go.”

“But…” Evie sighed. “I don’t want to leave you.” Evie’s voice cracked. “I lo—”

“Don’t.” Uma’s face hardened. “Don’t say anything that’s going to make this worse. Because you say those words, and you’ll stay and ruin all the plans you have made for yourself. And they never had me in it before, so stop trying to piece in something I’m not in. You can’t pencil me in. It doesn’t work like that. So just…keep it to yourself. I don’t want to hear you say it.”

Evie’s jaw tightened and she looked back towards the shore. Uma took that as their cue to go back to reality, so she silently swam them both back to shore.

The moment they were back on land, Evie turned to Uma.

“I love you.” Evie spoke, her voice shaky.

Uma looked down at the ground, unable to face Evie at the words she warned the other girl not to say.

Evie straightened her posture and looked back towards where the Isle was. “I figured you should hear someone say that to you once. Because I do. I didn’t just find paradise in these waters and sand…I found it with you. You are, and probably always will be, the most beautiful view to me.” Evie turned back and looked at Uma, hoping, waiting for Uma to say something back but she was only met with silence. Evie nodded in resignation. “I should get going, then.”

And with that, Evie was gone.

__________________

Uma stood on the docks where pirate ships were anchored in. She could hear the commotion from afar as the core four were departing to Auradon. Of course they’d be picked. Mal got everything she wanted, and her friends always seemed to get the chance to bask in that pure luck Mal had.

Uma had no doubts Evie would fit right in Auradon with the regal way that Evie had always carried herself.

Despite trying to find reasons to get mad at Mal, Uma just couldn’t stop thinking of Evie. And their kiss. And how the rest of her life without her seemed absolutely unbearable.

Uma watched the magical barrier open and the commotion only grow louder.

One moment, Uma was simply standing on the docks, and the next? Uma was jumping off one of the ships and swimming towards the magical barrier.

How could she be so _stupid_ and let Evie walk away from her thinking she wasn’t loved by Uma? Of _course_ she was. There was never a moment where Uma wasn’t absolutely in love with Evie Grimhilde.

Uma’s tentacles could only move so fast, but a part of her did something dangerous: she hoped. She hoped she was faster than the barrier, and she could stop that car from going to Auradon and she could tell Evie that five minutes isn’t enough for her.

Uma wanted to tell Evie that her love for Evie defied time and space and logic and she never wanted Evie to doubt that for a second longer.

She just had to make it to the barrier and tell that to her.

As the car pushed past the barrier wall, the barrier began to close. Right as Uma was about to reach the wall, the barrier sealed—making it impossible to get past it. Making it impossible to get to Evie.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…” Uma mumbled to herself. Her heart felt like an anchor. It was sinking down to places Uma had never thought she could sink down to before.

Uma pounded on the barrier wall, sparks of fairy dust sprinkling out in a seemingly mocking manner. “EVIE!” Uma called after. But it was too late. The car was out of Uma’s sight and Evie was gone. Tears streamed down Uma’s face. “EVIE!”

Uma continued punching the barrier, sparks flying off of it, but nothing indicated it being any close to breaking. Uma punched the barrier until her knuckles were cut open and bleeding.

Uma punched the barrier until she screamed out in frustration and anger.

Uma punched the barrier until the last thing on her mind was Evie, and how she let her walk away thinking she wasn’t loved when Uma would swim oceans for her.

**Author's Note:**

> LET'S GO UMIE NATION !!!!!!
> 
> also here are some of my socials lol (this is definitely me trying to deflect from the fact that I was on my angst bullshit lol)
> 
> here are my socials: 
> 
> twitter: @docandbeans  
> tumblr: loovelikee-fools 
> 
> take care, lovelies!
> 
> -jen, or jj


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